Make the brine in advance. Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a pot. Allow to cool. Add wings and leave for up to 24 hours. If you do not have time for this, 4 hours or so will suffice. Leave the wings to dry a little on a clean towel in the fridge once removed from the brine.

Make sure you have a meat thermometer. They are pretty essential for consistent barbecuing. Set smoker for indirect cooking with the burning coals pushed to one end, the barbecue and the cooking area for the wings on the other. Toss a small handful of wood chunks on the coals and close the lid. You should try to keep the temperature in the barbecue at around 105C so adjust your air vents until you find the temperature – 100-110C is fine. Too much higher and there will be the danger of drying out the meat.

Once the wings are dry, rub them thoroughly with the dry rub. Place the wings on the barbecue and close the lid. After 30-45 minutes, check to make sure the barbecue is behaving and give the wings a turn. Try to check as little as possible thereafter, so as not to lose moisture and heat. Wings need to reach at least 70C internal temperature. About 1½ hours should be plenty, but be patient and only remove when ready. Similarly, if they cook quicker, remove when they hit 70C.

Meanwhile, add the hot sauce, the barbecue sauce, butter and vinegar to a pan and gently cook down for 5 minutes until fully emulsified. A whisk might be helpful. Season with salt and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Once the wings are cooked, remove from the barbecue and let sit. Crank up the barbecue for direct grilling – not super-hot but just enough to finish the wings on the grill until crisp, caramelised and slightly charred. Toss the wings in the hot sauce until well covered and serve immediately with pickles and a beer. Use lots of napkins.